Cleaning cloth



I 1944- e. T. 31.0013v CLEANING 0mm Filed Sept. 22, 1 42 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. mzrzarl' 0:2,

Patented Feb. 8, 1944 UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE 2,341,354 V CLEANING CLOTH Grosvenor '1. Blood, East Orange, N. .L, assignor to Downy Products 'Company, range', N. 3., a

corporation of New Jersey Application September 22, 1942,8erialNo. 459,241

2 Claims. ('01. 51-294) This invention relates to improvements in cleaning cloth and to an improved method of producing the same, and the invention has reference, more particularly, to cleaning cloth of the general type and kind disclosed in United States Letters Patent to Pusch, No. 1,961,911 dated June 5, 1934, wherein the pile nap of a fabric, constituted by loop or cut piles, is treated to adhere to the same a water-insoluble plastic, substance having imbedded therein a powdered abrasive material, such as fine emery, pumice or like powder. In applying the plastic substance to the pile nap of the cloth by ordinary coating methods described in the aforesaid prior patent, considerable diiiiculty is experienced in obtaining a satisfactory product wherein the substance is deposited to form beads thereof at and adhered to the extremities of the nap piles or loops, for the reason that the plastic substance, which when applied is in liquid condition or solution, tends to penetrate the nap so as to cover and adhere to the piles or loops thereof substantially throughout their entir lengths, and so as to even reach and adhere to the warp or body of the fabric. This is highly objectionable for the reason that the nap is too densely matted,- andthe desired cushioning and absorbent effector" uncoated or exposed inner parts or shanks of the nap piles or loopsis not attained. Even when the coated nap of the fabric is brushed, the brushing operation is not satisfactorily effective toloosen the nap or remove excess deposit of the plastic substance.

Having these objections in view it is an object of this invention to provide a novel method of plastic substance application which so controls the contact of such substance with the nap piles or loops of the fabric treated as to substantially limit deposit thereof to the nap pile or loop end portions, with a minimum of penetration into the nap, so as to, consequently leave the inner parts or shanks of the nap piles or loops free of adhered plastic substance, and therefore efficiently flexible fordesired cushioning effect, and exposed for desired absorbent effect.

This invention has for another object to provide an improved form of cleaning cloth of the general kind hereinbefore referred to, wherein the abrasive carrying beads of plastic substance are applied to spaced sections of the fabric nap surface, leaving intermediate untreated sections thereof, whereby the highly absorbent and untreated sections serve to readily absorb and thus act as vehicles for carrying a cleansing solution,

so that, in the use of the cloth, the cleansing" solution is carried closely adjacent to the rm. sive sections and is 'effectivelyapplied with dirt softening ancl surface lubricating efiect in aid of the abrading action of said abrasive sections, and-additionally said untreated sections-provide clearance spaces intermediate the abrasive se'ctionsadapted to receive loosened dirt particles which are removed from asurface being scoured by the abrasive action of said abrasive sections. Other objects of this invention, not-,atthis time more particularly enumerated, will be understood fromthe following :detailed description of the same.

Illustrative methods and structures according to the present invention are shown in the ac-, companying'drawings, inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a schematic View showing a loop pile fabric in process of having applied to the piles or loops thereof a plastic substance, the appli cation being made by an air brush instrumentality through a suitable intermediate screen, which both breaks up the vapor like plastic solution into a multiplicity of separated jet like streams, and directs said streams onto the nap pile or loop end portions with minimum penetration beyond saidend portions, the fabric and screen being shown in section. p

Fig. 2 is a face view of one form of screen-or mask, the same beingbroken away to show un- 'derlying treated and untreated napsurfaces of the fabric being processed.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a modified form of mask or screen and pile fabric treated therethrough to produce alternated sections of plastic headed and unbeaded areas of the fabric nap pile; and Fig. 4 is a face view of the mask or screen shown in Fig- 3, the same being 'broken away to show the treated nap surfaces -*of the fabricas'processed therethrough'.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a tufted pile fabric treated according to the: principles of this .inven--, tion, to produce a novel modified form of the cleaning cloth of this invention.

In theproduction of cleaning cloth of the kind involved in this-invention, a cloth fabric, such e. g. as terry cloth,;is preferably utilizedas a base; i The plastic substance may comprise-anitro-celluloseor similar lacquer or any suitable Water-insoluble gum or resin, such as non-sa ponifiable resins or phenol condensation products dissolved in a suitable solvent. A solution of the plastic substance being prepared, the same is applied to the nap piles or loops of the fabric desired to be treated by means of an air brush in by momentum of its very finely dividedparticles,

to penetratedeeply.ihtothe interiorof the fabric nap, but rather is quickly arrested by the external end portions of the nap piles or loops so as to readily adhere thereto and build up thereon into the desired bead-like formations. Broadly speaking such air brush application of the plastic substance may be directly made to the fabric nap; preferably, however, it has been found that if the atomized plastic solution is directed through the interstices of a reticular screen B (Fig. 1), placed adjacent to the fabric nap surface, the atomized substance is further divided into a multiplicity of small jet-like streams of low velocity, which are adapted to more concentratedly impinge upon and coat the end portions of the nap piles or loops, with little or no tendency to penetrate beyond such end portions and into the interior of the nap, and consequently the inner parts or shanks of the nap piles or loops are left substantially free of plastic substance deposit, and therefore free to flex for cushioning effect, as well as to be exposed for desired absorbent effect. The mesh of the reticular screen A should preferably be of-a number per square inch more or less corresponding to the location and distribution of the formed beads to be formed on and carried by the fabric nap piles or loops; although of course, this is subject to variation, since only theoretically are the bead formations applied so as to be carried by single pile or loop ends, since a bead may be supported by two or more adjacent pile or loop ends. As shown in Fig. 1, which generally illustrates the air brushing method of applying the plastic substance according to the principles of this invention, the plastic substance is so deposited as to form bead-like masses I adhered to the end portions of the nap piles or loops ll of the fabric 12.

The abrasive content of the bead formingplastic substance may be incorporated with the latter either before air brushing application of the substance to the fabric nap or after such application; in the former case, a suitable amount of abrasivepowder can be mixed into the plastic substance solution, and in the latter case, the abrasive powder may be dusted on the applied plastic bead formations while the same are still tacky enough to receive and bind the thus applied abrasive powder thereto.

As already stated this invention also contemplates the production of a novel specific form of the cleaning cloth which is characterized by possession of alternated sections of plastic beaded and unbeaded areas of its cap pile or loop surface. This is shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and the method of production includes the provision of a perforate mask or screen M, the perforations p of which are relatively spaced so as to correspond to the form, position and distribution of beaded sections 13 desired to be produced on the cloth surface in alternated relation to unbeaded sections I 4 thereof. In practice, the cloth to be treated is spaced behind the mask or screen M, whereupon the plastic solution, as atomized by an air-brush instrumentality A, is directed through the mask or screen apertures 12 onto the underlying nap piles or loops of the fabric exposed through said apertures, while adjacent surrounding areas or sections of said nap piles or. loops are shielded by the covering solid parts ofthe mask or screen M against contact by the plastic substance solution, and consequently the same are left non-abrasive and wholly absorbent for desirable effects already above referred to. The beads of plastic substance formed on the beaded sections I 3 are provided with the content of abrasive powders, in like manner as above described. It will be understood, that the size, peripheral shape, and spaced relationship of the beaded sections I3 is subject to wide variation, and therefore the specific form and arrangement thereof shown in Figs. 3 and 4 is to be considered merely illustrative of one of many possible forms and arrangements.

In Fig. '5 is shown another modified form of cleaning cloth which is within the general scope of this invention. In this latter form of cloth, instead of employing a terry cloth as a base, a tufted fabric is utilized, the same comprising a body or warp l5 haVing a multiplicity of suitably spaced projecting filamentary tufts 16 formed thereon and carried thereby, thus providing the fabric with a tufted pile nap. The bead forming plastic substance is applied to the end portions of the tuft filaments by the above-described air brushing operation, preferably through a mask or screen S, the perforations t of which are sized and spaced to correspond to the size and distributive position of the tuft ends, whereby to expose said tuft ends to contact by the atomized plastic solution directed through said perforations, while protecting the sides of the tufts and the spaces therebetween from said plastic solution. In this manner, the ends of the tufts I6 are provided with the beaded formations I! characteristic of the cleaning cloth involved in this invention. Said beaded formations are likewise provided with a content of abrasive powder in like manner as above described.

1 What is claimed is:

1. A cleaning cloth comprising a base fabric having a tufted pile nap on at least one side thereof, said pile tufts having bead-like formations adhered solely to the extremities of their filaments leaving the shanks thereof and the base fabric free of such deposits, said bead-like formations being composed of a water-insoluble plastic substance having a content of abrasive powder.

2. A cleaningcloth comprising a base fabric having a pile nap on at least one side thereof, selected spaced sections of the nap piles having bead-like formations adhered solely to the extremities of the piles leaving the shanks thereof and the base fabric free from such deposits, said sections so treated being alternated with sections of nap piles free from said bead-like formations, said bead-like formations being composed of a water-insolubleplastic substance having a content of abrasive powder.

GROSVENOR T. BLOOD. 

